


Time Warp

by SherlockWolf



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, M/M, Multi, Post FF7, Pre-Advent Children (Compilation of FFVII), Reunions, mix of remake stuff and og stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23807470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockWolf/pseuds/SherlockWolf
Summary: Aerith has a surprise for Cloud, which brings him some closure he's always needed.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife, implied Tifa/Aerith
Comments: 10
Kudos: 134





	Time Warp

Aerith was a woman full of magic and mysteries. Cloud both learned and accepted that about her ages ago. So, when she offered to show him a surprise, something she’d figured out the day before while wandering the ruins of Midgar alone, his curiosity got the better of him. The surprise sounded like a good thing, if Aerith’s happy smile was anything to go by.

With a quick reassurance to Tifa that they’d be home in time for dinner, Aerith took Cloud’s hand and led him through the city. Though Edge was barely a year old, it was coming along nicely. The citizens had chosen a democratic government, rather than reinstate of Rufus Shinra and risk living under a corporate dictatorship once more. The new buildings were built from rubble, dragged and carted to the new location. It gave Edge a similar look to the plates of Midgar, but with the dust and hobbled charm of the slums.

Midgar itself was still a disaster. One had to travel carefully and slowly through the paths created by the construction. Though usually clear, stray nails or screws had put more than one foot out of commission, and nothing was considered stable so massive chunks of concrete were known to get loose and come tumbling down hills of rubble. Thankfully no one had been killed—yet. Cloud wasn’t holding his breath on that one.

Aerith led him through this scene of carnage to her old home in Sector Five, which had mysteriously been spared any damage from the fall of the plate above. The river ran as it always did, supplying the pond which hosted all the flowers Aerith loved so dearly. The sight of such beauty hidden from the bleak appearance of the slums never failed to stun Cloud, just as it had on that first day Aerith had led him there.

“How’re the flowers?” He asked her as she led him to the knoll with the rock.

She, Tifa, and himself had taken up a habit of stargazing there once a week.

“Wonderful as always!” Aerith reassured him, “But the flowers aren’t important right now, Cloud.”

Cloud smiled at that—the flowers were always important.

Aerith stopped on the knoll, then let go of Cloud’s hand to hold hers out in front of her. Cloud had seen her do this a handful of times before—she was summoning a portal.

“Wait, Aerith—.” He spoke to stop her, wanting to know what was going to be on the other side before just in case he needed to prepare for a fight.

“Cloud! _You_ just wait.” Aerith chastised him, brow furrowed in concentration.

Her eyes slipped closed, then the portal began to swirl and swell. Blinding white light forced Cloud to close his eyes, too, throwing an arm up as an extra precaution. The light faded as quickly as it came, and then Cloud was squinting at an open prairie where a stream wound through, banks littered with pockets of purple and yellow flowers which swayed with a gentle breeze. That same breeze pushed at Cloud’s hair, tickling his neck. Aerith let her arms drop, the portal settled in place. It wouldn’t go anywhere until she told it to.

Aerith turned to Cloud, gesturing toward the portal, “After you.”

“Still not going to tell me?”

“Nope! Get going!” Aerith gave up on talk and stepped behind Cloud, giving him a firm push forward.

He resisted, if only to tease her at this point, by leaning back on his heels. She was strong enough not to lose her balance, but she did have to brace herself.

“I know you’re doing that on purpose.” She gave a hard shove, and Cloud gave in and walked through the portal.

The breeze was a bit stronger on the other side, and smelled like wildflowers. The sun shone bright, but only mildly warm, indicating the season was the same as it was in Edge—spring. Cloud had always loved spring. The beginning of new life always brightened his spirits, and these days were significantly more meaningful after all the loss he’d witnessed. He turned to see if Aerith was following. She wasn’t. Apparently, this was something she wanted him to see for himself. She waved him on, made a sign for water, indicating he should follow the creek.

In truth, that made Cloud nervous. He had been expecting to see a new flower or cute animal. The fact that Aerith wasn’t coming implied he was going to find something a lot more important. The sword on his back reassured him he could face whatever Aerith had brought him to. And so, he began to walk along the stream.

The portal had become the size of a shrub on the horizon by the time the land in front of Cloud began to slope. The drop wasn’t gradual, either, but a steep incline that stopped some twenty feet below before flattening again. The creek beside Cloud tumbled down as a waterfall, then continued snaking through the prairie for as far as Cloud could see.

Not too far from the hill he stood on was a cottage, nestled between rows of planted fruit trees. The orientation of the house was such that its porch was perpendicular to Cloud, facing the water. On the porch was a bench, and on that bench was a man. Around the porch were some chickens, pecking the ground or each other and making soft sounds that traveled to Cloud with through the breeze. A donkey brayed, somewhere on the small farm, and muted music was playing somewhere in the cottage.

But none of that mattered to Cloud.

All that mattered was the man on the porch. The man who had seen a stranger near his home and had picked up a sword that had been hidden from view to protect that home. Not any sword. _His_ sword.

The man appeared from the trees, sword held behind his shoulder by one hand, appearance clear now that he wasn’t partially concealed by leaves and apples.

Cloud stopped breathing. Or, it felt like he did. His chest tightened as though trying to squeeze his heart to death before the man reached him and did it himself.

This couldn’t be real.

The man was halfway up the hill, but Cloud couldn’t seem to make out his features properly—it was raining.

This had to be a dream.

The man was before him, a height’s length apart and still slightly on the slope, looking up at Cloud with such a kind, sad smile.

“She said you were coming.”

Cloud felt like he was going to melt, then wake up in his bed soaked in tears. He took a wobbly step forward and his knee buckled. In an instant, the man had dropped _his sword_ and caught Cloud by the shoulders, holding him upright. And then, Cloud was pulled into a hug.

Cloud came undone in that embrace, allowing three years of _pain_ to overwhelm him. Memories forgotten then remembered rushed through his mind’s eye as he pressed his forehead against the man’s chest, trying to tilt his head to at least prevent his tears from soaking the white t-shirt.

“Jeeze, I hate seeing you sad. I know you’re…different, but still. Upsets me.” The man told him, resting his chin on top of Cloud’s head.

The words were nearly lost on Cloud, his mind screaming at him that this wasn’t real, and _he_ wasn’t here, and _gods_ when had he last hugged _him_?

“Cloud,” the man’s voice cracked, his arms tightening around Cloud’s shoulders, then he whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

_For what? It wasn’t your fault!_ Cloud wanted to tell him, but his throat choked on the words.

“Aerith told me. Not details, but that I didn’t make it to Midgar with you. And I’m so sorry. Even though it was a different timeline, I know myself. I wanted to be there for you, to get you to safety and hide you from Hojo. I’m sorry that I couldn’t.”

“Time…line?” Cloud forced out, and yikes was his voice a mess.

“Yeah. In mine—this one—I made it. Got you to Aerith, and…wow, there was a lot that happened, I don’t really know where to start.”

The idea that this wasn’t a dream, that _he_ had survived for a different Cloud in a different time…Cloud wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, returning the hug with enough sudden force that the man-made the sound of air being forced from his lungs. Cloud felt awful for that, though the man didn’t say anything about it. Deciding he needed to get himself under control, because he wanted to _talk_ not just _cry_ , Cloud focused on his calming breath. After a few minutes he had evened it enough where he felt confident to speak, however quiet so his voice didn’t shatter every syllable.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“You, too.”

“Huh?”

“You said sorry. But you don’t need to. You saved me when you could have left me behind and escaped yourself. I was a burden, and you—.”

“No, never. You kept me going, so many times I wanted to give up, but I had you to protect. Without you, I would’ve lost my purpose.”

“But Aerith…”

“Ah, yeah. I had almost forgotten by the time we got to Midgar. I knew I had to get you there because it would be safe, but it wasn’t until we ran into Tifa that I remembered why I had dragged you all the way back to Shinra’s headquarters.” The man spoke with disgust at the end, as if he couldn’t believe he had been so boneheaded.

“I was glad you did. I found Tifa, and then Aerith. But I…”

Nerves twisted Cloud’s gut. Finally, he had the opportunity to tell _him_ everything, even if they’d had completely different experiences. Perhaps telling this man all that he’d kept inside for years would help him find closure for what had happened in his own timeline. But he didn’t want to unload without consent.

“I want to hear it.” The man spoke before Cloud could ask.

Cloud had always felt somewhat undeserving of this man, and that feeling returned with full force. He extracted himself from the hug, taking a step back so he could see the man properly. A few remaining tears had to be wiped away, and then there he was. Shoulder-length raven hair, blue eyes that shone with the vibrance of the soul they contained, gentle smile reserved for Cloud and Cloud alone.

“Zack…” Cloud felt the threat of another breakdown.

Zack took one of Cloud’s hands in his own, picking up the sword with the other.

“Let’s talk in the house, okay?”

Cloud agreed, and so Zack led him down the hill to the cottage. The chickens ran after them up to the porch, squawking for food. Zack set the sword against the wall next to the door, then the two went inside. The kitchen, living room, and dining room were combined as one, with two doors to the right opposite the kitchen appliances and counters. The center of the square wooden dining table held a small vase of the wildflowers from beside the stream, and tucked under the far window was a cozy-looking couch. Another window was in the center of the kitchen, and yet another beside the door, giving the room plenty of light. That light reflected off the glass of framed photos that hung along the doors to the right.

Zack led Cloud over to these photos, then released his hand in favor of heading to the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. Cloud began to look at the pictures. The first was of himself and Tifa, Cloud asleep with his head rested against the bar while Tifa held up bunny ears behind his head. Next was Zack and Aerith, standing on the very knoll that Aerith awaited Cloud’s return by her house. They were laughing about something, the picture taken from a distance indicating it was candid. Cloud knew that Zack had been Aerith’s first love, and finally seeing them together, so happy…it made sense.

The third photo seemed to freeze time itself, Cloud hardly aware of anything aside from the image. Himself, Zack, dressed to the nines in white tuxedoes, yellow flowers tucked in their jackets’ pockets and crowns of white flowers adorning their heads. Heads which were pressed together in a kiss. In front of what was distinctly the alter in the abandoned church of Sector Five.

“I bet you can guess which one’s my favourite.” Zack spoke from beside him, startling Cloud back to _alternate_ reality.

A glass of water was pushed into his hands, from which Cloud took a grateful sip. His throat felt like someone had rubbed sandpaper against it.

“We’re married. Well, you guys are.” Cloud answered, looking to the next photo.

Himself and Zack, on motorcycles and flipping off the camera.

“Yeah, we are.” Zack agreed.

He set his water on the floor, then began fidgeting with something on his hand. Cloud looked to see him pull off a ring, which he passed over. Cloud took it, spun it around in his free hand. It was a simple silver band on the outside, but the inside had an etched phrase.

“ _Live your dream._ ” Cloud read aloud.

He passed the ring back, and Zack placed it back on his finger.

“Yours says the same thing.”

“That’s…great.” Cloud couldn’t imagine a better vow between the two of them.

Zack laughed, “A man of many words.”

Cloud rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. Where is your-me anyway?”

“Visiting Aerith and Tifa in Edge. He won’t be back ‘til tomorrow, so we’ve got plenty of time to talk.”

So, Edge had come to exist here, too. That could only mean Meteor had threatened the existence of this planet, too.

They sat across from one another at the dining table, then Zack went first. His story didn’t turn out to be all that different from that which Cloud had lived, except that Sephiroth had not only been after Cloud, but Zack, too. The main difference was, of course, that Zack had been there. Had helped defeat Shinra, Sephiroth, and Hojo, and participated in the initial construction of Edge until he decided he wanted some peace and quiet. The people of Edge recognized him as a hero, but sometimes being a hero every day was a little much. He showed Cloud a map, which revealed the haven Zack called home to be less than a day’s ride from Edge.

Cloud made a promise to himself to visit it when he returned to his own time.

And then, it was Cloud’s turn. The nerves came back in force as he told Zack—in thin detail—about his death, then how Cloud had gone on to not only forget him, but merge his own identity with Zack’s. He partially blamed it on the mako poisoning, partially on his own need to keep as much of Zack with him as he could. Then he shared his similar story of victories, just without Zack in the picture. When he’d finished sharing about living at Seventh Heaven with Tifa and Aerith, the pair sat in silence for a long while, Zack spinning his empty glass as he though while Cloud watched him, basking in the life that this version of himself had with Zack while he could.

Zack let out a heavy sigh, and glanced up at Cloud. His eyes shone wet.

“You never fail to surprise me, Spike.” He said, rubbing away the tears with the back of a hand.

“How’s that?”

“I just…forget how much you care about me, sometimes. Like, I know you do, but the intensity…I forget.”

Cloud wasn’t quite sure he understood, but when Zack didn’t elaborate further, he didn’t press.

“I wish I had told you sooner. Before we ever got trapped by Hojo. I should’ve told you.”

“I don’t think it would’ve changed anything.” In fact, Cloud wasn’t altogether sure knowing Zack loved him would have been better—it could have affected his mako-addled brain far worse after Zack’s death.

“Still.”

“Besides,” Cloud argued, for his sake or Zack’s he didn’t know, “Maybe in my timeline, you—he—didn’t feel that way.”

But Zack shook his head, adamant, “I can’t imagine any version of myself that would know you and not love you.”

Well. Cloud couldn’t exactly argue against that—he had never known this part of Zack, the part that openly loved him as more than a friend. Cloud had always dreamed, always _wanted_ , but never had.

Except, maybe he had. In the Cloud-only smiles Zack gave him, the silly nicknames, the relentless determination to get Cloud to safety, even at the cost of his own life…Perhaps Zack had shown him little hints, not yet ready to draw the curtain on the full reveal.

Maybe, just maybe, Cloud could believe that his Zack had loved him, too. 

“I…feel the same about you.” Cloud responded.

There was that smile, just for him. Then it turned silly.

“Yeah, I know. You wanna hear about our stories in bed next?” Zack asked, to which Cloud blanched.

“Absolutely not.”

Gods, how he’d missed Zack’s boisterous laugh.

“Okay, maybe you’re not that different.” Zack continued to tease.

Cloud gave him an exasperated look, which only amused Zack more.

“Hey, wanna feed the chickens with me?” Zack offered out of the blue.

Cloud agreed, and so Zack led him to the back of the cottage. A wooden crate beside a large chicken coop was packed with grain, from which Zack took a large handful and directed Cloud to do the same. Then, Zack whistled, and the flock came running from all directions. Cloud stopped counting after the twelfth chicken. They tossed the food over the birds, grain raining down onto their feathers as well as the ground. Then, chaos ensued. Zack pulled Cloud back a few feet as they watched each chicken scramble to eat as much as it could before the rest of its flock. It was hilarious, and for the first time in a long time Cloud found himself smiling for more than a few seconds.

“Cloud!”

The call of his name from up the slope caught both Cloud and Zack’s attention, and they peered through the trees to find Aerith standing on the top, waving at them.

“Shit. We promised Tifa we’d be home for dinner.” Cloud explained to Zack.

The mere idea of leaving this heaven was a heavy weight, sinking into Cloud’s stomach and limbs. Before he could wallow too far, however, Zack pulled him into another hug, even spinning him in a circle.

“Thank you for visiting.” Zack said once he released Cloud.

“Thanks for letting me. I’m gonna miss you.” As if he didn’t miss Zack every day.

“Well, if you ever want to hang out with some chickens, Aerith knows where to find me. I’ll tell my Cloud, so he doesn’t freak out if he sees himself.”

Cloud wasn’t sure he’d want to come back and disrupt the peaceful life this reality’s version of himself had with Zack. But the offer was made out of kindness, so Cloud simply nodded.

With a final look at the man he loved so dearly and owed so much to, Cloud headed for the hill. When he reached Aerith she took his hand. They looked down the slope, where Zack was standing at the edge of the trees. He waved to them, and they waved back. Then, Aerith led him back to the portal.

Once they were on their side, and the portal was closed, Cloud stood on the knoll outside Aerith’s house, staring at the orange-tinted sky.

“So?” Aerith prompted, expression curious.

“I don’t think ‘thank you’ is enough.” He said, and he meant it.

Aerith laughed, “The look on your face says it all.”

Cloud side-eyed her, “What look?”

Aerith held a finger to her lips and winked. Then, she snatched Cloud’s hand once again and led him home.


End file.
